The Picnic in the Wood

It was Sunday, after vespers

In the town of Montauban,

Where the Seminary Deacons walked

Along the tree-lined strand,

While two girls were sipping latté

At the Café Belle Amie,

Watching all the black-robed brothers

As they passed, but covertly!

 

‘Don’t you think he’s very handsome?’

Sighed the girl called Mirabel,

As the brother Michael passed them,

Turned his head, and gave a smile,

While Georgette had sat and giggled,

Put her hand up to her mouth:

‘Don’t you think it’s rather wicked,

Tempting priests to break a vow!’

 

Mirabel had raised an eyebrow

And stared archly at her friend,

‘Isn’t that the main attraction,

Tempting vows that never mend?

I once overheard my mother

Tell her sister, Aunt Denise,

‘You will never know seduction

If you’ve not seduced a priest!’’

 

It was autumn in the country

And the leaves lay all around,

Making pathways sere and golden

With their passing, on the ground,

And the woods that lay by Montauban

Were like some lovers' dell,

That these girls had often wandered,

And the nooks, they knew too well.

 

When Mirabel had smiled, coquettish

At the novice priest,

He’d stopped, and turned to join them,

Chatted low, but quite at ease,

‘I have filled a picnic basket,

Pink champagne and sweet baguettes,

I intend to go tomorrow,

Come along, and be my guest.’

 

Then he pointed to the pathway

That led deep into the wood,

‘We can have a pleasant day of fun,

And stuff ourselves with food;

I have seven different cheeses

Camembert and Brie de Meaux,

Some Gruyère and Mimolette…’

Then Mirabel said: ‘Yes, I’ll go!’

 

Her friend shrank back, and shivered,

Mirabel had caught her eye,

‘Don’t you crash my little party…’

It had said, and she knew why!

There would be more fun and frolics

Than the novice would suspect,

When her friend returned tomorrow

With his celibacy wrecked!

 

But seven days went by, there was

No sign of Mirabel,

Then Michael came, and said that she

Was called to aunt Giselle;

It seems she’d had a fit, and Mirabel

Had caught the train,

She wouldn’t be around for weeks

Her aunt lived in Lorraine!’

 

Georgette was disappointed

She had hoped to see her friend,

But Michael stayed and chatted

And he charmed her, in the end,

He said it was Georgette that had

Attracted him that night,

But Mirabel jumped in too quick,

And put his plans to flight.

 

The girl felt more than flattered,

She was always in the shade,

For Mirabel had always picked

The best of who they laid,

So when he made his offer

That a picnic would be right,

She blushed, and then she stammered,

‘I’d be honoured - if you like!’

 

The woods that lie by Montauban

Took on their winter shroud,

The weeks went by, and neither girl

Returned to join the crowd.

The vermin had been busy

On their bones, deep in the wood,

Had eaten what virginity

Was left, with Michael's food!

 

And Michael, his Hail Mary’s

In his Seminary cell,

Had brought him more than comfort,

They had saved his soul from hell,

For no-one, he reflected,

Could tell anybody now,

He’d kept his love protected

And his celibacy vow!

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[zainul]

Perhaps there is a sleeping evil with everyone.
A serpent provokes the evil to do harm.
The evil in Mirabel seduced and the evil in Michael reduced her to the food of vermin.
The evil in Georgette played differently and faced the same fate of Mirabel.
I congratulate David for presenting yet another captivating piece.
My explanation is my own.
Not sure how correctly theorized it!

[TL Boehm]

WOW! a formidable little story in this one. I agree with zainul we all have our inner demons.

[Leigh]

Another great read full of action you have a unique way of describing things in these story poems. Great story line it must be very tempting for these priests to have girls throwing themselves at them in an attempt to get them to break their vows!

[Emerald Seas]

David, you never stop doling out intriguing stories! Mysterious and dark... and as always, well written!

[Autumn]

Wow, i'm just speechless how you put a mysterious and dark story into such an amazing poem! I'm a fan of you style of writing.

[Stabitha]

You deviant!

Dark and funny.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

It is amazing how you do this, David, put a full haunting story within a poem! Not many have mastered this art, but you do it superbly.

[Fréyjä Helv..]

Another Brilliant work. I was absolutely entertained and intrigued by your work. The ways of the priests with purity and stuff I don't get... Everyone has their perceptions and certain interpretations on various beliefs. Anyways love your works...

[Laura Maidah]

Very long. Very good. Very concise and long at the same time. The line breaks are pretty perfect. Meter is inconsistent because it varies, but I don't think that was purposed. Bit staggered in pacing.

[Tate Morgan]

LOL well now hmm imagine that "Could it be SATAN!" Every time i hear of a man who has spent his life in denial of his nature I wonder just what secrets lie behind that smile . Speaks volumes of the truth doesn't it.If nature were so easy to fool and control then the Catholic stance on abstinence would be working .And we all know that is a joke lol